Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery

Being that surgery is such a drastic therapy modality, patients are strongly advised to research their options carefully before agreeing to any particular procedural selection.

Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery Myths

Doctors LOVE this condition, since it is nearly universal in the population and provides a convenient scapegoat on which to blame ANY unexplained back pain. Blaming aging is far easier and acceptable than trying to delve into the complicated realm of diagnostic evaluation and work hard to actually uncover the real source of pain. This is too much work for many caregivers.

DDD is easily identified and most patients will accept the diagnosis without any questions. This makes it much easier to get them into treatment ASAP and start earning that money.

Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery Procedures

Fusion is a procedure that actually removes the flexibility and mobility from the vertebral joints by combining vertebrae into one solid piece of bone. Hardware such as screws, cages and pins are often used to secure the bones together. This procedure goes against the evolutionary development of the spine. The spine is designed to bend and flex. A solidified spinal segment will cause the deterioration of surrounding spinal levels, leading to a degenerative wave effect and further surgical procedures throughout the spine. Fusion is a very invasive surgery and the recovery time is long and difficult for the patient to endure.

Disc implantation is a procedure in which an artificial spinal disc is implanted into the spine to replace a degenerated disc. This procedure has promise, but is still in it’s infancy. Longterm studies are not available regarding the best artificial disc design to use. There are a few designs in limited use and many more in clinical trials. At least this procedure aims to maintain the mobility of the affected spinal levels. The procedure is less invasive than many traditional spinal surgeries.

Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery Advice

Statistically, almost any treatment will be unsuccessful eventually, since DDD is rarely the actual cause of the pain. Even if disc degeneration is responsible, it will continue despite treatment in the same or nearby spinal levels. Treatment success is mostly temporary and due to the placebo effect. Pain from DDD is mostly misdiagnosed and often intensifies due to the diagnostic nocebo effect.

Being that back surgery is a very risky process filed with many possible complications, patients must not rush in their decision making process. Statistics clearly show that it is wise to avoid spinal surgery for any condition when at all possible. However, if you have to, or want to undergo an operation, always use considerable time and effort to select the best surgeon and the best surgical technique for your needs.